Majority Of UK Employees Now Believe The Office Is Unnecessary

Majority Of UK Employees Now Believe The Office Is Unnecessary

  • Number of employees believing the office is unnecessary has risen by a fifth since the start of lockdown. Up from 51% in June 2020 to 63% in March 2021
  • Nearly two-thirds (63%) want to do some work from home in the future - but almost a third (31%) feel pressured by employers to return to the office
  • Demand for flexible working highest amongst 18-24 year olds - with two-thirds (66%) reporting that a lack of flexible work patterns would cause them to search for a new job
  • With a quarter (26%) of the workforce returning to the workplace full time, IWFM calls for fair consideration of all workers needs

As businesses look to once again reopen their doors following an easing of lockdown measures, new research has revealed that 63% of employees now believe the office to be unnecessary – a rise of a fifth since the first lockdown (51%).

The poll, which surveyed 2,000 office workers across the country in March 2021, found that the vast majority of employees will expect a level of ‘hybrid’ working in the future - with nearly half (44%) of the workforce planning to work from the office for 3 days or fewer a week.

Transform your roofs with Cladding Coatings

Demand for hybrid working is particularly prevalent in the younger demographic. Two-thirds (66%) of 18-24 year olds admitted that not being offered flexible work patterns would cause them to look for a new job. Yet worryingly, more than a third (38%) of this demographic feel their employer is pressuring them to return to the office - risking losing new talent.

The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) is calling on employers to ensure that hybrid working is accessible for all; providing adequate choice and support for employees to perform their role from multiple locations, in order to avoid losing younger workers to competitors.

Chris Moriarty, Director of Insight at the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Chris Moriarty, Director of Insight at the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management comments: “More than a year on, we continue to see employers striving to strike the right balance between remote and office working. The benefits of the office have not been forgotten, yet we continue to become accustomed and comfortable with our home working routines.

“The truth is, home versus office working should not be viewed as a binary choice between focus and connection. A true commitment to ‘hybrid working’ will give employees and employers flexibility to work in a way that is best suited to them - allowing them to reap the productivity and social benefits of both home and office working environments, how and when it best suits their needs. Employers should now make every effort to provide staff with genuine choice to perform their role wherever they feel their performance would be best supported - adapting the office space, incentives and policies to reflect the changing nature of the workspace environment.”

More than three-quarters (79%) of 18-24 year olds believe that they will be equally as productive or more productive working from home. This demographic is also working the most unpaid overtime from home - on average 11.6 extra hours a week - and has invested on average nearly £300 in creating a suitable working environment at home (£292).

Moriarty continues, “The COVID-19 crisis has left a permanent mark on our view of the workplace - and a knee-jerk return to the pre-pandemic status quo risks serious implications for businesses in attracting and nurturing talent. The responsibility now falls on organisations to think about their employee experience beyond the boundaries of their corporate workspace. Effective employers will already be thinking of how to support employees and provide a suitable working environment for them, wherever and however they choose to work.”

The research was conducted by the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management as part of its ongoing ‘Return to the Workplace’ campaign. For more information on the campaign, visit https://www.iwfm.org.uk/coronavirus-resources/covid-19-guidance-returning-to-work.html

  • All figures, from March 2021 are from Opinium. Total sample size was 2,000 adults, of which 570 who are now working from home (the core sample of the research). Fieldwork was undertaken between 11 - 16 March 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
  • All figures from June 2020, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,059 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 18 - 19h June 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
  • All figures from April 2020, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,260 adults, of which 1,195 UK-based office workers, of which 404 who are now working from home (the core sample of the research). Fieldwork was undertaken between 22 - 23 April 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).